Cork City North West Quarter Regeneration Commission Opportunity

Introduction

Cork City North West Quarter Regeneration under their Capital Regeneration Programme has provided funding through the Percent for Art Scheme to undertake the management and realisation of a significant art commission for the area.

The Commission seeks to support new and exciting opportunities for artists to engage with communities through dynamic collaborative arts projects and responses led by artists.

The National Sculpture Factory will manage an open call for proposals to artists for the commission, with support from Create the national development agency for collaborative arts Ireland and a panel of independent advisors.

Artforms and Context

It is important that the project connect with the Area under the Regeneration Focus

THIS PROCESS SEEKS INTEREST ONLY FROM ARTISTS OR ARTIST LEAD COLLECTIVES WHO WILL ENGAGE IN RESEARCH WITH COMMUNITIES AND WHOSE WORK IS COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE.

Eventual work can include any artform and be achieved through once off interventions, residencies, collaborative projects, interdisciplinary responses, and / or time based work. There is also scope for collaboration between disciplines (e.g. architect and visual artist, theatre maker and designers) and for collective responses or interdisciplinary approaches and practices.

There is a focus on new work as a central aspect of the commission and the focus is on collaborative work or work that may interact with and or activate community.

Artists will be supported at Stage 2 with introductions to communities and other stakeholders.

The commissioners intend to create a supportive enabling environment and the selected project/s may be supported to base themselves within the community for periods (work space/living space)

The Key Themes, which emerged from consultation through the regeneration process, are:

Home

Perceptions

Place and People

Belonging

Community and Social Change

Orientation

Future

Resilience

Technology

Context

It is within the context of the North West Quarter Regeneration Per Cent for Art Scheme that the public art working group invites artists to make proposals.

In 2011 the Cork City Northwest Regeneration Masterplan and Implementation Report was adopted by Cork City Council after an extensive public consultation process.

The adopted masterplan outlines a comprehensive rolling programme of housing demolition and construction over a 12-year period. This will be accompanied with associated social economic and environmental measures.

Under the masterplan there will be 450 houses demolished and 650 new homes constructed. The new construction also consists of mixed tenure including social voluntary and private housing.

Phase 1 A complete Summer 2016 (26 Houses)

Phase 1 B due for completion Autumn 2017 (20 houses, 9 apartments)

Phase 2 A due for completion 2019 (47 units)

A number of aims were established as outlined in the masterplan (attached)

Restructure the housing provision to create a better balance of type and tenure.

Evaluate accessibility and movement

Improve the physical condition of the neighbourhood

Evaluate the needs of the community in terms of job opportunities, learning initiatives, community development and facilities. Improve and enhance the image of north west of the city both locally and nationally

Help to combat crime and anti-social behaviour and enhance the sense of security

Have regard to City, Regional and National Planning policies and objectives.

Knocknaheeny is consistently shown as one of the most disadvantaged electoral divisions in Cork City, with high proportions of local authority housing, lone-parent families, and unemployment. In response, the area has a vibrant network of innovative services – both statutory and community – based in the area.

Knocknaheeny has a significant youth populations – 41.6% of the population are under 25.

Overall, the northwest areas of the city have a lower level of ethnic and cultural diversity compared to the City and Country. However, the area has a significant Traveller community, particularly in Hollyhill (4.8% of the population are White Traveller) where a newly constructed Traveller group housing scheme is located.

Focal Points

Hollyhill Industrial Estate, to the west of the regeneration area accommodates many businesses, Apple Computers HQ has a major presence in the area and is set to expand; a significant employer in Cork city and it is employer to many nationalities.

St. Mary’s Hospital is located on a significant area of land to the south east of the regeneration area. Construction work on a new 50-bed community-nursing unit has recently been completed. Construction has also now commenced on a new Primary Health Care facility on the site. This will be a significant resource for the local community.

The regeneration area is serviced by a small neighbourhood retail centre located at the junction of Harbour View Road and Courtown Drive in Hollyhill, which consists of a public house, a SuperValu convenience store and a number of small retail units. The neighbourhood also provides a range of local and community services such as a Senior Citizens Centre, Youth and Community cafe and Youth Centre, Family Centre and HSE & NLN Family Support Services as well as a vibrant Foroige Youth Links Building. An award winning Library and community resource opened in 2015. The Community Garden and new Scout Hall are also in close proximity.

The Terence MacSwiney Community College and City North West College Campus are located at the junction of Courtown Drive and Harbour View Road. The college, as well as delivering Junior and Leaving Certificate Programmes, also delivers a range of Post Leaving Certificate courses for adult learners and has been proactive in its delivery of the Department of Education and Sciences Back to Education Initiative (BTEI).

In addition, the area is served by a number of Primary Schools, with most children attending St Mary’s on the Hill, Sundays’ Well Boys, Sunday’s Well Girls or Scoil Padre Pio.

A COPE Foundation & NLN residential and educational centre is located at the junction of Kilmore Road and Courtown Drive. The centre caters for children and adults with intellectual disability through its systems of early intervention, schooling, training, adult day services and supported employment and provides residential accommodation for sixty persons.

The Flagship, state-of-art, Barnardos Brighter Futures Early Years Centre is located in the physical regeneration zone and provides comprehensive support to enable babies, young children and their families to get the best start.

The recently established Young Knocknaheeny Area Based Childhood Programme – funded through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs – pilots a prevention and early intervention approach to improve outcomes for all children by supporting families and service delivery.

NICHE – the Northside Initiative for Community Health – aims to address health inequality and promote a social model of health to improve quality of life for people living in the area. NICHE has an established and integrated Community Arts for Health Programme and also manages the Community Garden.

A full list of service provisions in the area attached (as per p34/35 of the Masterplan attached). To date many once off art projects have been developed in partnership with Cork City Council in the area and Music Generation project has had significant uptake and success in the area.

Communities

The brief seeks proposals from artists or collectives of creatives who wish to work collaboratively with communities of place.

You do NOT need to identity a specific community or group of interest at this stage of the proposal process however you may wish to identify a context area or suggested collaborators as part of your response.

We will support short listed artists/practices to make contacts with communities at stage 2

Finance

The total value of the commission(s) is up to 75,000 euro. This budget is fully inclusive of all costs including fees to the artist/arts group, any necessary research, production/realisation, insurance, documentation and VAT.

You may wish to apply for the full amount or part of.

Short-listed artists will be paid an honorarium for completing Stage 2 of the submission process.

Selection Process

This is an open submission, competitive process in two stages:

Stage 1

Stage 1 is an open call from which artists will be short-listed, then briefed in detail and invited to make a more detailed proposal.

Stage 1 requires artists to make a written proposal to include an initial response to the context and opportunity and support materials, as follows:

Names of the lead artist and if relevant other key members of the team

Summary concept and approach to the commission

Indication of potential collaborators and clear rationale for engagement and interest in the context of this opportunity.

Support Materials

Short biographies or CV for key team members being proposed

Examples of previous and relevant projects (a maximum of 3 projects)

Stage 2

Stage 2 will comprise of a limited competition with up to 8 artist’s/arts groups directly invited to make submissions. Short-listed individuals or teams will be fully briefed on site and will subsequently be requested to provide more detailed analysis of the concept, ideas, methodology and finances of their proposal. The selection panel, which will include representation of expertise in contemporary art practice, will make the final selection. Artists or teams may be invited to attend for interview before a final decision is made.

Selection Criteria

The selection panel will use the following criteria to assess proposals:

Concept and relevance to the commissioning context

Quality and originality of artistic ideas

Process and feasibility of the proposal

Engagement with the sites and stakeholders

Capacity of the artist, curator or creative producer, and team to develop, manage and deliver the project on time and within budget

Track Record (individual or team)

Time Scale

The intended time scale for the commission(s) is 12/18 months, from the date of signing the commission contract.